SEOUL MOTOR SHOW: Hyundai Genesis coupe concept

Hyundai has revealed first images of a slinky new two-door sports car concept that will preview its next-generation Genesis coupe, which has been confirmed for release in Australia by the end of next year.

Dubbed the HND-9 Luxury Sports Coupe Concept and set to make its world debut at Korea’s Seoul motor show next week (March 28), the butterfly-doored coupe takes a number of design cues from the Californian-designed four-door HCD-14 concept.

Confusingly, the latter previews the second-generation Genesis sedan, which was spotted during winter testing last month and has been confirmed for right-hand drive production, but is yet to be signed off for local release.

That’s because Hyundai has traditionally struggled to sell passenger models in Australia priced above $40,000, which is about what the Genesis coupe is expected to cost, positioning it above the Veloster coupe and against a host of hot hatchbacks.

Hyundai says more details of the rear-wheel drive HND-9 concept will be revealed at next week’s reveal, but has confirmed it is powered by a turbocharged direct-injection GDi petrol V6 that produces no less than 270kW, matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

That peak output figure is significantly more than the existing 2.0-litre turbocharged Genesis 2.0T R-Spec coupe (204kW/372Nm) and only marginally more than the larger-capacity 3.8-litre V6-powered Genesis 3.8 R-Spec coupe (260kW/400Nm).

Few other details have been revealed, but the two-door HND-9 – the ninth concept model to be developed by Hyundai’s Namyang R&D Centre in Korea – borrows clear frontal design cues from the US-designed HCD-14 sedan and represents an evolution of Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture design philosophy.

Featuring a long wheelbase and bonnet, prominent character lines stretching from the headlights to the boot and a bold, wide hexagonal-shaped grille, Hyundai says the HND-9 is a “modern interpretation of a classic premium sports coupe”.

Also helping to give the high-performance coupe concept a decidedly upmarket feel are extravagant styling elements like the butterfly doors, spiral-shaped lines connected to the headlights, dual twin exhaust outlets, heavily stylised head- and tail-light designs and glistening silver paint.

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